59.0°,
Mostly Cloudy Malverne concludes outstanding year
An outstanding season on the volleyball court came to a halt as the No. 3 Malverne Lady Mules fell to top-seeded East Rockaway 23-25, 18-25, 24-26 in the Nassau Class C Championship played Nov. 8 at SUNY-Old Westbury.
Sophomore outside hitter Gina Skelly had back-to-back kills to close out the third and deciding set to lead the Lady Rocks to their seventh county title. Senior Katie Barto added 17 assists and three kills.
Malverne coach Kim Rossi was upbeat despite the loss. “We had a tremendous season, and a great run to the finals,” Rossi said. “The girls had never played in a championship match before. It often comes down to the mental side of the game. There are a lot of ups and downs. When you have the lead, then lose it, it’s tough to get it back.”
With seniors Sara Robinson and Sayra Velasquez-Trejo getting it done from the service line, and senior captain Amanda Masson controlling the net, the Lady Mules took an 18-8 lead and appeared on the verge of taking the first set.
Back came the Lady Rocks. Becky Italiano chased down a ball close to the backline and blindly one-handed the ball over the net for a crucial point. With momentum on their side, the Lady Rocks rallied to tie the score at 21. Italiano had three straight service points to help East Rockaway close out the first set.
The second set was all East Rockaway. With senior Lindsey Dinowitz serving well, and Barto scoring on numerous crafty dinks, the Lady Rocks ran away with the middle set. Dinowitz finished with six kills in the match.
The Lady Mules led for much of the final set. Malverne held a 24-21 lead and was serving for the set. Velasquez-Trejo had eight service winners during the set.
But, East Rockaway wouldn’t be denied. Italiano kept East Rockaway alive with a kill, and then the senior outside hitter had consecutive service winners to tie the set at 24, setting the stage for Skelly’s heroics. Malverne finished with a record of 12-4.
The Lady Mules advanced to the county final for the first time since 1991 after knocking off No. 2 Carle Place in the semifinals. In the semifinal match, senior outside hitter Karen Ulysse had 10 kills in a 25-22, 20-25, 25-10, 25-21 win.
Robinson had seven aces and 10 assists in the match, and senior middle hitter Danielle Hinds added six blocks and six kills. Juniors Sami Henry, Candice Sabdull, and Jessie Miele all played well to help Malverne advance.
Despite losing eight seniors, Rossi is opti mistic about the program’s future. “The girls should hold their heads high,” Rossi said. “These girls were very committed, and worked hard to be successful. A lot of the girls are playing on club teams and going to camps. It’s definitely a big help.”
